Suggested books

[alcina]

Not sure if this is the right board, but there doesn't seem to be a book specific area. I thought I'd pass on the titles of some books I've been reading, though I'm sure you'll already know some.

John Seymour: The New Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency
This and its first incarnation are The Good Life bibles, a "must read" by all. It's subtitled: "The classic guide for realists and dreamers", and it really is. You do find yourself believing that you can be self-sufficient out of a window box and dreaming of the day you can keep livestock. A very practical book. This book, although taking your right through to the totally self-sufficient small-holding, also advocates the self-sufficient-ish approach.

Eliot Coleman:Four-Season Harvest
Coleman is an American advocating that providing you a) select the right crops and b) protect them from the cold with simple, unheated frames, you can harvest food all year round. It's based on the principle that most of America is on the same latitude or lower as the South of France (44N) - which has a tradition of winter farming, and therefore most American's have enough light during the Winter still to be able to grow/harvest food. Here in Blighty at 51.5-53N we are on the same latitude as Calgary, Montreal and above and we don't have nearly as much Winter light. However...I read this book at the same time as watching a DVD of the 1980's series "The Victorian Kitchen Garden". What I found fascinating was that the Victorians, out of necessity, grew/harvested food all year round. Although they could add heat, they did not have the technology to add light, which means there is enough natural light even in Britian at least to extend the harvest season considerably at both ends, if not actually to harvest all year round. A large part of the book (as with the TV series) also focuses on food storage (the Root Cellar, the Potato Clamp etc.).

Lucy Siegle: Green Living in the Urban Jungle
This book is largely about Lucy's own attempts to be more self-sufficient, whilst living in a flat in the middle of London. It's inspiring because it's very real. She gets takeout, she feels guilty about using a car, she tries to find a reliable local box scheme. As with the River Cottage series, not all of her attempts work - this reality factor is something the books above slightly gloss over in their attempt to sell self-sufficiency to the public. This book isn't about selling self-sufficiency, it's assuming that you've already bought into the idea. This book charts one path, with all its ups and downs, taken by one person along the road to self-sufficiency-ish.

Alcina

[Wombat]

Good stuff Alcina,

I've got the original of the first one, but not seen the other two!

Nev

[Andy Hamilton]

Cheers Alica, could not be a better advert for the book shop that helps keep this site going (eco-logic) - 100% recycled packaging and probally the most ethical bookshop in the world (well in the south west of England
).

http://www.eco-logicbooks.com/?affiliate_id=18 - John Seymore

http://www.eco-logicbooks.com/index.cfm ... iate_id=18 - elliot coleman

http://www.eco-logicbooks.com/index.cfm ... iate_id=18 - Lucy Siegle